Theme Text– ‘Understand this, in the last days there will come times of stress. For men will be lovers of self, arrogant, abusive, ungrateful, unholy, inhuman, fierce, haters of good…‘ (2Timothy 3:1-5)
We see that the main message of Jesus during his ministry was a Kingdom of Heaven (i.e. governed from Heaven) to be established on the Earth. We also see church history showing us how theological beliefs have changed regarding the kingdom over the course of time. Now let us check if Modernism, one of the three present-day mainstream theories regarding the Kingdom, has any biblical support or not.
1) According to modernism, how can Man establish a righteous and peaceful kingdom on Earth?
Richard Gregory (Gods and Men), a modernist, writes:
‘What has been achieved in the six thousand years of civilized life may represent only the incipient stages of growth of moral consciousness towards a condition so sublime that it approaches what is conceived to be divine.
Belief in continuing this upward trend by service to high ideals is the religion which will make the world happier and better.
It is by such exalted endeavors that the kingdom of man will prove worthy to be called the kingdom of God’.
2) Is the Modernists’ claim really possible? Are we on our way to a Kingdom of Peace?
Well, turn on the news! Terrorism, crime, murder, exploitation, corruption, immorality, greed, drug addiction… the list goes on. And this is the news in modern well-developed countries!
People are losing hope for justice, peace and security even in democracies!
The Bible actually predicts this –
‘But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of stress. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, inhuman, implacable, slanderers, profligates, fierce, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding the form of religion but denying the power of it.’ 2Tim 3:1-5 RSV.
